Dragons' Den first aired in the United Kingdom in 2005.
The BBC launched the British adaptation in that year after the format had originated in Japan. The first UK series introduced viewers to entrepreneurs presenting businesses to a panel of potential investors, creating the basic structure that later seasons retained.
The original panel included Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Deborah Meaden, Theo Paphitis and Rachel Elnaugh. Individual panel members changed over time, but the central pitch-and-investment format remained consistent.
The year is sometimes confused with the launch dates of overseas versions or later series featuring familiar Dragons. The UK programme itself began in 2005, making that the key date for the British edition rather than for the global franchise as a whole.